A very rare 1920-S $10 MS66 PCGS, Ex: O'Neal, from the year that marked the first U.S. regular-issue gold coinage since 1916, proved quite popular with collectors at the Los Angeles auction, bringing a healthy $345,000 price realized. In 1920, when 126,500 eagles were struck at the San Francisco Mint, they were already considered one of the rarest of all 20th century $10 gold coins as nearly all were exported in commercial trade, or held in Treasury vaults and eventually melted in the 1930s. No hoards have ever turned up and the coin remains very rare, and popular, to this day.

Large Rectangular Justh & Hunter 179-Ounce Gold Ingot (1855-57). This large, deeply-patinated rectangular ingot was among many recovered from the doomed ship S.S. Central America, which foundered in a hurricane in 1857, carrying to the sea floor the present example and many others marked with the Justh & Hunter imprint, as well as those of numerous other assayers. A memorable and historic piece of the California gold rush.
Realized: $322,000

A strong candidate for Finest Known, this coin is a memorable specimen of one of the rarest major varieties in the U.S. gold series. The BD-1 variety is characterized by the presence of 13 stars on the reverse, compared to the 14 stars of the more available BD-2 variety of this date.

About 15 brass Continental Currency pieces are known in all grades, and they are only known from the original engraving or the first modification of Reverse A. Breen recorded an example of the EG FECIT variety in brass; however, that piece has never materialized. Current rarity information indicates that there are three known examples of Hodder 1-A.1, and about 12 known of Hodder 1-A.2, the variety that was offered in Los Angeles.

Only three examples of the Ornamented Date rarity, including this coin, are known to collectors. The Norweb specimen and the present example appear to be tied for the finest known of the Ornamented Date variety. However, the Norweb coin is now in the collection of a well established New York colonial specialist, and will likely remain off the market for a long time. The present example, which was unknown to older generations, first appeared in the Christie's sale of November 1990, lot 241, where it was conservatively graded Very Fine. The third specimen appeared in the June 1997 Spink America sale, lot 19, with a provenance to Burdette Johnson, Col. E.H.R. Green, and Waldo Newcomer before